India-US logistics deal to work only on mutual consent: Defence Ministry

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that the newly-inked India-US military logistics agreement will work only on mutual consent, and clarified that it does not provide for setting up of bases or an obligation to carry out joint activities.

“Defence cooperation between India and the United States has never been

stronger than it is today,” the Defence Ministry said in a tweet from its official Twitter handle.

The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) was signed between India and the US on Monday in Washington, in the presence of visiting Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter.

“LEMOA is a facilitating agreement that establishes terms, conditions, procedures for reciprocal provision of logistic support, supplies, service. Reciprocal logistic support would be used exclusively in port visits, joint exercises, joint training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” it said.

“Logistics support for any other cooperative efforts shall only be provided on case to case basis through prior mutual consent of parties,” it said, adding that this consent would be consistent with the respective laws, regulations and policies.

The tweets added that LEMOA “does not create any obligations on either party to carry out any joint activity”, “does not provide for the establishment of any bases or basing arrangements”, and “significantly enhances operational capacity of our armed forces, including in response to humanitarian crises or disaster relief”.